A New Identity
by Bookdancer
Summary: What happens when Alex doesn't go with Mr. Pleasure, and Scorpia is out for revenge? He gets a new identity, that's what. After pretending to die in a bank robbery, Alex takes on a new identity and joins the SAS. K-Unit appears. After Scorpia Rising.
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Notice: Alex Rider is not mine, it's Horowitz's. I'll also try to post every two days. If I cannot, I will try to tell you beforehand. Please enjoy!**

Alex's POV:

Alex Rider, age 15 with brown eyes and light brown hair, sat in front of a desk. He was muscular, fit and lean with that look in his eyes that said he had seen too much for someone his age. However, they were currently glaring at Mrs. Jones, the head of MI6.

"And _why_ would I want to die?" He asked, annoyed.

Mrs. Jones sighed, "Not _die_, Alex, we would be faking your death."

At that, Alex interrupted, "Explain this to me again, please."

"We believe that Scorpia will be, er, trying to kill you again. So, we will fake your death and then give you an entire new identity. That done, we will then send you back to Brecon Beacons to train in the SAS."

Alex groaned, but decided to make a statement, "I'm too young."

Mrs. Jones nodded, but said, "That will be taken care of, of course. You will be given a new identity. That means new name, looks, age, per-"

"I can't change my personality. I mean, for a few days, weeks, or maybe even months or a few years, but I won't be able to do so for the rest of my life." Alex interrupted for the second time. Mrs. Jones frowned, but nodded once again.

"So be it." She replied.

**Please review!**


	2. The 'Death'

A New Identity

**I do not own Alex Rider! Anthony Horowitz does, and I am not Anthony Horowitz. Also, to:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thank You!**

**ReillyScarecrowRocks- Thank you for the advice, I'll make sure to heed it. Also, I don't think **

**that the bank robbery will be as good as the 20 car pile-up, but I'll do my best.**

**Tinkabella12895- I know, the prologue is the shortest chapter so far.**

Chapter One: The 'Death'

3rd POV:

Alex walked into the Royal and General lobby just in time to see a man approach the front desk. Frowning in thought, Alex continued walking, quickening his pace when he saw the man reach into his pocket, pulling out... a dart gun, pointing it at the person behind the desk.

"Hey!" Alex yelled. "Yeah, you!" He continued as he saw the man turn around to look at him, eyebrow raised.

"Is that a dart gun?" The bank robber frowned, but then his face lit up in realization. The dart gun was disguised as a real gun, so only someone who had dealt with that stuff would know.

Alex then realized that the robber knew, and his face flickered with emotion before he swiped it clean. Then Alex knew that there was only one way to get to the robber. He lunged, arms outstretched, but then the man turned around, dart gun raised, and fired.

Alex felt the dart slam into his stomach. He quickly dropped to the floor and rolled as the robber then brought out a real gun and began shooting at him. The teenaged spy hissed in pain as a bullet found his left thigh. He rolled to a stop in front of someone.

Fox's/Ben's POV:

I stared down, astonished, as the person who I regarded as a son rolled to a stop in front of me. A dart stuck out of his stomach, a trickle of blood coming from the puncture. A bullet was buried in Alex's leg, blood streaming down.

He grinned weakly at me, saying, "Hey, Ben."

"Alex!" I cried out in horror, dropping to my knees next to him, yanking out the dart and trying to stem the flow of blood from his woulds with my hands. At the moment, I didn't even care that the bank robber was getting away, but I vaguely noticed security guards running around as I screamed, "Call 999!"

A paramedic raced towards me, sniffed the dart, and turned pale. He shook his head slowly, but checked Alex's pulse, and, if possible, turned even more pale. He turned to me and said, "I'm sorry, but it is too late. The dart is laced with a poison that kills almost immediately after coming in contact."

This time, I paled and reached for Alex's hand, squeezing it. He squeezed back and smiled, a bit weakly, at me. I could see his breath slowing, feel his pulse weakening, and he was turning pale.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" I pleaded with the paramedic.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, there is an antidote, but it wouldn't get here in time."

And then, as I turned back to Alex, he breathed his last breath.

**PLEASE REVIEW! I only got four reviews last time, and a lot of people visited!**


	3. K Unit Learns

A New Identity

**I don't own Alex Rider. Anthony Horowitz does, and as you can see, hmm, you can't really see, but I am NOT Anthony Horowitz.**

** I am really sorry, I didn't think that I wouldn't be able to post yesterday. But, I was working on a project the entire time and didn't have any time at all. So, I'm sorry. Anyways, to:**

** Everyone who reviewed- Thank You!**

Chapter Two: K-Unit Learns

_Wolf's POV:_

We careened into Fox's driveway in Eagle's rusty, ready-to-breakdown-car. (And by 'we', I mean Snake, Eagle, and I).

"Never again!" I groaned, stumbling out of the car. "Never again will I let you drive!" I yelled at Eagle. He had picked me up first, and then Snake. The three of us had then driven to Fox's for dinner. For once, the four of us were all off-duty. Eagle put on his pouty face, pretending to be hurt by the remark, but I rolled my eyes.

"Come on." Snake grumbled at us, walking up to the door. He rang the doorbell and waited, but Fox never came.

After five minutes of Eagle rambling on about why Fox wasn't answering the door, I yanked out my keys, shoved Eagle away, and opened the door, saying, "He's probably just in the shower."

But, in the apartment, there was no sound. All of a sudden, a loud sob ripped through the air. The three of us (SAS soldiers) immediately snapped to attention before running towards the sound. As we got closer, I could hear soft sobs. Then I realized something, the crying was coming from behind a closed door at the end of the hallway, Fox's bedroom.

"Fox?" Snake asked tentatively, "Are you alright?" He crept closer to the door, Eagle and I following close behind. (I think Eagle actually stepped on his heels). Then the sobbing stopped, and I instinctively pushed myself in front of Snake and Eagle before pushing open the door.

Inside, a man lay on the bed, covered with blood. He had dark brown hair and a nice tan. He was wearing jeans and a dark green T-shirt that were splattered with blood. Then I heard Snake gasp.

_Snake's POV:_

I stared at the man on Fox's bed, and then gasped. It was Fox, and he was covered in blood!

"What happened to you?" I cried.

"Dude, Fox," Eagle said, obviously trying to lighten the atmosphere, "next time you try suicide, actually go through with it, okay?"

"I-It wasn't suicide." Fox croaked as I rushed forward to check him over, Wolf slamming his hand into Eagle's head.

"What happened?" I repeated, horrified.

Fox stared hauntingly at me, "I-I went to debrief."

"Did they attack you?" Wolf asked, looking as if he wanted to run to the bank and beat up everyone there. I sighed, didn't Wolf realize that Fox was probably attacked before or after the debriefing? Plus, he couldn't exactly beat up any MI6 agents.

But Fox just shook his head, "No, I wasn't attacked. A-a bank robber came in, didn't know it wasn't really a bank. A-Alex was there, and he-he tried to stop him. But, the robber sho-shot Alex with a dart gun. It was poisoned. He also shot Alex in the leg with a real gun. I-I tried to stop the flow, but-" Fox swallowed, "but he was already gone."

We all stared at him, and then Eagle broke the silence, "Er, who's Alex?"

Fox looked at him, swallowed again, and looked down, murmuring, "Y-you know him better as Cub."

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. The Reactions

A New Identity

** Hi, everyone. Because I made a mistake, and really want to apologize and get back to my regular posting schedule, I am posting two days in a row.**

** I do not own Alex Rider. Anthony Horowitz does. Also, to:**

**Everyone who Reviewed- Thank You! You make my life so much better when you do.**

**speechbubble and hollyblue2- Thanks so much. It was my first time doing it, and I wasn't sure how well it would turn out. I'll do my best not to from now on.**

Chapter Three: The Reaction

_Fox's/Ben's POV:_

After I told Wolf, Eagle, and Snake who Alex was, I looked back down, waiting for their reactions. But I heard nothing, so I looked back up. That's when I realized that the reactions that I thought would be verbal... were really silent. They were so comical, if it wasn't such a serious matter, I would have laughed.

Wolf was standing there, but slowly sunk down into a chair, opening and closing his mouth like a guppy.

Snake just stood there, frozen.

But Eagle, he stared, and then crumpled to the ground. he fainted, I realized numbly.

_Wolf's POV:_

"You know him better as Cub." Fox's words echoed in my mind.

I stood there, and then slowly backed up and sat down on a chair, my mouth opening and closing, trying to say something. I didn't even realize that I probably looked like an idiot. All I knew was that Cub was dead.

_Snake's POV:_

I gaped at Fox, barely registering that Eagle had fainted, and, as the unit medic, I should tend to him. Cub was dead, I thought, and the only thing I had ever done to him was bully and ignore him. I never even knew his real name..

_Eagle's POV:_

How? How could the boy, for a boy he was, who went through training with us, be dead? _Dead, Cub is dead. Dead...dead...dead..._

Darkness closed in, and I realized that I was fainting.

_Fox's/Ben's POV:_

An hour later, Eagle had regained consciousness, and the four of us were seated at the table, staring numbly at the Chinese take-out in front of us.

"He could speak it." I whispered.

"What?" Wolf asked.

"Chinese, he could speak Chinese." I repeated, dragging my eyes up to look at the three unit mates I had left, even if I was no longer SAS.

"How do you know?" Snake asked after awhile.

I glanced at him before replying, "I went on a mission with him. We got pretty close." I chuckled. "He looked good as an Afghan refugee." I muttered.

"What?" The three of them asked, dumbfounded.

"He was under cover as an Afghan refugee. He had dark hair and skin, contacts, dirty clothes and skin, and was missing a few teeth*." I replied, no longer looking at them. I paused, got up, and returned a few seconds later with a photo in hand.

"Here." I said, handing it to them.

"_This_ is Cub?" Wolf asked, staring at the Afghan refugee in the picture. I nodded.

"It's twenty-three days from now, February second, at ten AM." I added. Three pairs of eyes looked at me questioningly. "The funeral." I amended. "We've been given leave."

They nodded, and we all spent the time in comfortable silence, mourning the death of a friend and unit mate, until, one by one, they all left.

**I haven't read the book in a long time, so please forgive me if I got the info wrong.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. The Funeral

A New Identity

**I am really sorry that I didn't post yesterday. But, I have decided to post every three days from now on, as it gives me more time to write. Really sorry!**

**I do not own Alex Rider. So, to:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thank you so much!**

**Parker Lavene- He is not dead, he just wants everyone to think he is. You'll see in the next chapter. Sorry you got confused.**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- Why are you confused? If it is for the same reason as Parker Lavene, see my answer.**

**fencingfan- Yeah, I'm really hoping that I'll continue, too. So far, I'm doing good. I just hope I won't lose any inspiration or run out of ideas!**

Chapter Four: The Funeral

Wolf's POV:

I stared around, only a few people had bothered to show up. Me, Fox, Eagle, Snake, Mrs. Jones, Crawley, a fat man, a boy about Cub's age, and a girl and her parents were the only ones. I turned my attention back to the grave, where four people were slowly lowering a coffin into it.

Several minutes later, after the service was over, we (K-Unit, as Fox left MI6 after Cub's death) started to move forward to pay our respects. All of a sudden, "Hey! Why are _you_ here?", the boy and girl snarled at the same time. They glanced at each other, and then the boy stepped forward, saying, "All you've ever done is mess up his life, and now you have the nerve to come to his funeral?"

We stared at him, confused, but then Fox said, "I'm sorry, but I think you're talking about them", he pointed at Mrs. Jones and Crawley, "I'm Ben Daniels." The teens' eyes lit up with recognition, "And you must be Tom Harris and Sabina Pleasure." They nodded, and then Sabina added, "Alex told us a lot about you. But you are?" She asked, looking pointedly at Eagle, Snake, and I. "Ah, I am Jake, this is Joe (Snake points at Eagle), and-"

"I am Sam." I interrupted. Eagle snickered, "Sammy, I didn't know you could ry-" He shut up as soon as I leveled my famous death glare at him.

"We're SAS." Snake added. "Cool! What are you're code names?" Tom asked eagerly, obviously trying to forget about the death of his friend. "Er, I'm Snake, that's Eagle, that's Wolf, and I believe you know that that's Fox." Snake said, pointing at each of us in turn. Eagle sniggered, "Jake the Snake." We all rolled our eyes at Eagle's immaturity. "Wait a minute," I said, "How do you know we have code names?"

"Alex told me." Tom replied.

"Well, goodbye." Sabina said.

** Sorry it's not longer. I couldn't think of anything else to write. I promise the next chapter will be longer. But, please, REVIEW!**


	6. Healing and an Explanation

A New Identity

**Hey, really sorry I didn't post yesterday. I had school, homework, and babysitting. I know, the usual excuse that everyone uses. But it's true. I feel really bad.**

**Anyways, I do not own Alex Rider.**

**To:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thanks! You really made my day.**

**ReillyScarecrowRocks- I know, and I am extremely sorry. I believe that I was concentrating too much on other stuff in the chapter, so I completely forgot about the emotion that really should have been there. Sorry!**

**Albany- Don't worry, Alex is starring in this chapter and many more to come. (Even if it isn't in his POV)**

Chapter Five: Healing and an Explanation

Alex's POV:

I looked out the window, leaning on my crutches and thinking. It had been a month since my fake death, eight days since my funeral. Unfortunately, I had been shot in the leg during my 'death', so I had to use crutches. My leg still collapsed underneath me sometimes, but the doctor had told me that it would get better.

But I suppose that you want to know how I survived, if I've had a funeral. Well, I'm alive, and no one but Mrs. Jones and I know. See, Mrs. Jones figured that Scorpia would be out for revenge. So she faked my death. The bank robber was really a MI6 agent. The dart laced with deadly poison didn't contain enough poison to kill me. All it did was slow my pulse so it was like it wasn't there, it stopped my breathing and the poison kept me alive, and it made me cold like death had taken hold*. Mrs. Jones switched my body, she replaced me with a wax dummy. She then gave me the antidote to the poison, and I regained consciousness.

So I am now in a safehouse somewhere in London. In two months, once I'm off my crutches and my leg is as healed as it can be, I'll sign up for the SAS. I've already got my fake identity and past.

According to my file, I am age 18, my name is Matthew Hammond, and I have black hair with blue eyes. I am well tanned, but I can't really change my appearance more than that. Both my parents died in a hit and run accident, which would explain all of my scars (I had been in the car with them, but survived). When I was 14, I was involved in a bank robbery and got shot in the chest. I joined the army at sixteen** and, one month ago, I was shot in the leg. It was then that I decided to join the SAS. I sent in a form and got accepted***.

Now I know what you really caught onto out of all of that. How can a 15 year old become an 18 year old? Mrs. Jones said that I was tall for my age, and strong and lean enough to pull it off. However, I would have to pretend to look younger than my supposed 18 years. She also said that I have that look in my eyes. Mrs. Jones said that she had hacked into the government's records so that all of me and my family's history (going all the way back to my Great Great Great Great Grandparents) was there. She also got into a schools system and put my grades, school pictures, etc. into their system.

I have memorized all of the information, and have now become Matthew Hammond.

**Woah, lot of info to soak in, and sorry about not having any action.**

*** Sorry, couldn't help but rhyme.**

*** * Not sure if you really can, but oh well.**

*** * * Not sure if that's how you do it, but in my story, it is.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Joining the SAS

A New Identity

**I cannot believe what I have done. It is unforgivable! I haven't updated in six days, when I said I was on an every-three-days basis! I am soooo sorry!**

**I do not own Alex Rider. To:**

**Everyone who reviewed (who, for those of you who may be wondering if it is an actual person, no, it isn't, it is just simply there for everyone who has reviewed)- Thank You! You make me so happy! :)**

**Albany- Thank you. Also, I believe that I forgot to mention that I am completely following the books (as best I can). Mrs. Jones is the head of MI6 now, Mr. Blunt retired.**

**melissahengg- Yeah, me, too. But, this is one of my first two fics (I started practically at the same time), so I'm not that good at that yet. However, my chapters are getting longer and better (I think!)**

**ReillyScarecrowRocks- Yeah, he was accepted to the Regiment, as I figured that their histories and files would be sufficient enough. And thanks for the compliment!**

**PartyPony2- You may be a little surprised later on...**

**And now, on with the chapter!**

Chapter Six: Joining the SAS

_Alex's POV:_

I had driven up to Brecon Beacons that morning. My leg was completely healed, with just a few twinges of pain every now and again. I had dyed my hair black, and was wearing blue contacts. Just then, I heard the sergeant call my fake name, "Matthew Hammond!"

I leapt to my feet, glancing around. Besides me, there were three other men still waiting. I walked into the sergeant's office.

"Matthew Hammond?" He asked, looking at me scrutinizingly. I nodded, "Yes, sir." He nodded back approvingly.

"From now on, soldier, you're name will be Jaguar*. I'm putting you into D-Unit. Here's your schedule." Then he got to the yelling part of his little speech. "NOW, you may be the youngest here, but I will NOT go easy on you. If you make a mistake, you'll be binned. If you complain, you'll be binned. If you cry, you'll be binned. If you don't make it, you'll be binned. If you mess up in any way, you'll be binned. NOW GET OUT!" He barked at me.

"Yes, sir." I replied. I mean, really, I've faced far worse than an old sergeant yelling at me. But then, he didn't know that.

Once outside, my face didn't let on anything that had happened inside, but really, on the inside, I was jumping with joy. The sergeant hadn't recognized me, I was in.

A small smile crept over my lips as I jogged towards D-Unit's cabin, my pack slung over my shoulder. I slowed to a stop outside the cabin that read 'D-Unit'. The door opened with out a sound, and I slipped inside.

Three men were sitting on their cots, talking. None of them looked up. They obviously didn't even know I was here.

_Cobra's POV:_

My name is Brandon Thomas. My codename is Cobra. I am 25 years old. I am D-Unit's medic. I have brown hair and eyes, and am what you would say 'tall and gangly, but with muscles'. Right now, my unitmates and I are discussing our fourth and last unitmate.

"When do you think he'll get here?" Lion, our leader, asked. He was of average height with blond hair, green eyes, and plenty of muscle.

"Shouldn't he have gotten here by now?" Monkey, our electronics and communications specialist and the joker of the unit, and I shrugged. Monkey was tall and lean with brown hair and hazel eyes.

"I could go see where he is." I offered, standing up as they both nodded. I turned around, and...

I shrieked, I mean, who wouldn't, when there was someone standing right in front of you, so close you couldn't shoot? He smirked as I inspected him a bit more closely. He had jet black hair, curly and unruly, and bright blue eyes. He had a nice tan, and was of medium height (shorter than all of us, but he looked younger) and lean. He seemed to be putting a bit more weight on his right leg than normal, but he could have been injured. His face was completely empty of emotion, but you could see in his eyes that he had been through a lot. All in all, you could tell that he was the type of guy who picked up girls like there was no tomorrow.

I felt Lion and Monkey move to my side, Lion taking the middle as leader. "Who're you?" Lion demanded. The man replied, "Jaguar."

"Are you-" I began. "Your fourth unitmate?" He asked, "Yes."

"How old are you?" Monkey asked. "Eighteen." He replied. "But don't underestimate me, I joined the army at sixteen, I'm an excellent shot, and I'm a black belt in karate."

We all gaped at him. "How'd you join at so young an age? Surely your parents would've thrown a fit." I remarked.

"They're dead. Died in a hit and run accident, in a car, when I was four. The doctors said it was only my size and luck that kept me alive." We all stared, but then Monkey broke the silence, saying, "Er, I'm Monkey, the electronics and communications specialist, that's Cobra, he's the medic, and that's Lion, our leader. Is it okay if we call you Jag?"

Jaguar looked at him, and then replied, "It's not like a have a choice, do I?"

Once again, we stare at him, shocked. "What do you _mean_ you don't have a choice? Of _course_ you do." I said. This time, it was Jaguar's turn to be shocked. "Really? Well, I guess it's okay."

"Great! Monkey exclaimed.

A few minutes later, "Great, another Tom." Jag muttered, glaring openly at Monkey, who wouldn't be quiet. Monkey just grinned at him and giggled. Giggled! An SAS man shouldn't giggle!

"Er, Monkey?" Jag asked, "Did you just _giggle_?"

"NO!" Monkey screeched.

Approximately one minute seventeen point two seconds later, "Hey! Give me my candy back!" Monkey yelled, running after Lion, who had grabbed Monkey's candy and begun to run around the cabin.

"Hey! Lion! I'm open!" Jag called out. Lion tossed the candy over Monkey, who leapt and missed, to Jag, who tossed it back when Monkey charged him. Then I decided to join in the fun.

"I'm over here!" I yelled, stretching out my hands to Jag, who had the candy again. Jag tossed it to me, and I vaguely noticed that it was a Milky Way** before sending it back on its way Lion. Pretty soon we had a 3-way Monkey-in-the-Middle going. Literally! I realized.

"Hey guys! We have a literal Monkey-in-the-Middle game going!" I yelled out. Jag and Lion burst out laughing and Monkey started screeching, making monkey noises.

_Alex/Cub/Matthew/Jaguar/Jag/whatever you wanna call him's POV:_

As I laughed at Cobra's statement, I realized that, for the first time since Jack died, I was happy.

** YAY! I'm really hyper right now, but not on candy or caffeine! It's because I just wrote my longest chapter yet! 'does little victory dance'**

**Back to being serious: Okay, as some of you may be noting, Alex would not normally be acting this way. However, I really think that he deserves a break from being so depressing, so here is the new, happy, and improved Alex Rider.**

*** I have noted that a lot of people are using this, and I loved it so much that I decided to use it, too. To those of you have used it, please take this as a compliment! :)**

**** Not sure if they have these in London, but, yeah...**

** REVIEW!**


	8. A Prank and the Shooting Range

A New Identity

**Okay, I am sooo sorry that I didn't post on schedule. And, like I said for Mission: Survival (my Hardy Boys fanfic), I will not waste my time on silly excuses when, in truth, it was all my fault. See, instead of typing up the chapter and posting like I should have, I spent all of my extra time reading fanfics. (I did, however, get through all 94 pages of Alex Rider fanfics, no crossovers included except for two exceptions.) So I am happy about that. Although I now have to start all over again to find those that are brand new or have posted and I didn't do story alert for. Anyways... if you want a cool disclaimer that isn't boring, please go to Mission: Survival, Chapter Eleven, changing the Hardy Boys characters into Alex Rider characters. But the point is, I do not own Alex Rider.**

** To:**

** Everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

** TheAwesomeJellyBean- I know, and while I admit they are interesting, I just didn't want to put Alex through that kind of stuff. I figured that my fanfic would be made of happy things, like pranking other people *hint*hint*cough*cough*this is a slight spoiler warning*hint*cough*cough*.**

** ReillyScarecrowRocks- Thank you, I tried not to completely suffocate people with info, it's one of the reasons my chapters are so short (at least I think so).**

** Aima- Yes, I know. But they're a new unit, and bonding. I figured that the bonding may as well have some happiness and funny parts.**

**Thanks, and yes, people have told me that. And, like some people who told me this, it's fan_fiction._ I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I'm actually taking it from someone who reviewed.**

**Yes, I know the length is kinda bad. But I am getting better.**

**Okay, now I'm starting to get hurt. You don't have to say stuff quite so... meanly. And I know. I just figured that some people would like to have an actual picture of my characters.**

** zeichnerinaga- Yes, K-Unit will appear again. Just not for a while now. And I can't answer that last question without telling everyone else, and it would be a spoiler, so... sorry.**

** Albany- Yes, K-Unit will appear again. Just not for a while now.**

**So, on with the chapter! Also, this is my longest chapter yet, so I am very happy!**

Chapter Seven: A Prank and the Shooting Range

_Lion's POV:_

"Alright, men!" I yelled at my unit, "Time to get going! Up and at 'em!" Monkey, Cobra, and Jag immediately leapt out of bed, snapping up salutes before they realized that it wasn't the sergeant.

Despite myself, I grinned, "Thank you. Honestly, I can't believe that you slept that long. What're you try'n to do do? Monkey!" I yelled all of a sudden, "Stay where you are!" I blinked, "Wait, where's Jag?"

Suddenly, someone tapped me on my shoulder, yelling "Boo!" I shrieked, I couldn't help it, but I did. And not only that, but I also dove for my gun, snatching it up and pointing it at...

"Jag?" I asked in disbelief, "What were you trying to do?"

With a straight face, though I don't know how, he replied, "I already did what I was trying to do."

"And what was that?" I asked suspiciously.

"To sneak away, using Monkey as a distraaction, tap you on the shoulder while yelling, 'Boo!', and make you jump a foot in the air, screaming like a little girl. The gun, of course, I hadn't thought about, but you can think of it as an added bonus."

I stared at him and said, "What?" He opened his mouth again, no doubt to say the exact same thing, but then Monkey yelled out, "Ha! _Told_ you he wouldn't deny the screaming like a little girl. Ten pounds, please, Cobra."

I watched in horrified fascination as Cobra grumbled but handed over the money. Then I realized something, "You _bet_ on whether or not I would deny... screaming like a little girl?" Monkey and Cobra slowly nodded.

I probably would've yelled at them, but then Jag said, "Um, guys? We have five minutes to get to the mess hall for breakfast."

We calmly got dresses and marched out to the mess hall. Not, that's what I would _like_ to say happened. What really happened was...

All chaos broke out. Monkey and Cobra dove past me to their chests, pulling out their uniforms and then yanking them on. Jag, I realized, was already standing there, dressed and ready to go.

Then the sounds reached my ears.

"Cobra! Get off my sock!"

"Monkey, give me my shoe, it's by your foot!" A pause. "No, your _other_ foot!"

And I was just as bad. "Monkey!" I screeched. "Get out of the way!" I was hopping up and down, trying to keep my balance while putting on my sock. I hope you noted the word 'trying'.

I let out a cry as I stumbled over Monkey's foot and crashed into Jag. Or, I realized, almost crashed into Jag. He nimbly dodged me and leapt onto his bed, where he barked, "The sergeant's coming!"

Almost automatically, Cobra, Monkey, and I were standing at attention in front of the door, dressed and ready.

Instead of the sergeant, all we got was, "Good, now we're ready to go." All three of our heads whipped around to look at Jag, who was jumping off of his bed and onto the floor.

He nodded at me apologetically, "Sorry for taking charge, it was the only way I could pull that kind of trick on them." I nodded back, "Thanks."

Soon, we were at the mess hall, and Monkey, Cobra, and I were beginning to think that Jag's favorite past-time was sneaking up on other people and scaring them. 'Why?' You may ask. Well, let's just say that he can be creepily quiet, and, when Jag asked Cobra why he had decided to get into medical stuff, we hadn't realized that he had moved from behind us to Cobra's side, and we jumped.

"Stop doing that Jag!" Monkey spluttered after the initial shock had worn down.

"Stop what?" Jag asked.

"Sneaking up on us!" Cobra cried. Jag looked at us, "Oh, hey! We're here!"

Immediately, Monkey's attention switched to the food, and he dashed inside. Sighing, Cobra, Jag, and I followed.

* * *

><p>An hour later, after breakfast, we were standing outside the shooting range, the first of several rotations. The instructor, a guy named Swan (who was famous for his shooting and smooth movements), quickly set each of us up at a table, a gun in front of each of us.<p>

"Dismantle and put the gun back together as fast as you can." He said. We all nodded and set to work.

One minute later*, "Done." I looked up to see who had finished, and was shocked to see that it was Jag. Thirty seconds later, Monkey, Cobra, and I were done as well.

Swan nodded appreciatively at us. "Well done, now whoot three rounds at those targets." The blond haired man pointed towards four targets across the lawn. "One target for each of you." We all quickly lined up, positioned ourselves, and shot.

He motioned us after him once we were done, heading towards the targets. We soon arrived at the first one. "Who shot here?" Monkey raised his hand.

Swan inspected it, "They are good shots, but I would work on accuracy. See, half the bullets are in the center, but the others are scattered all over." Monkey nodded in acknowledgment.

Swan then moved to the second target and asked who shot. Cobra replied with an affirmative. Once again, Swan's blue eyes inspected the target before speaking.

"You are a good shot. You see, Cobra got all of the bullets in the center, except for these two strays." Swan complimented Cobra. Cobra grinned in return.

Then we moved on to the third, and my, target. Swan did the same thing as before, saying, "You are a good shot, but you need to work on accuracy a bit. Most of your shots got the bulls-eye, but a few got outside." I nodded, I always did that, no matter how hard I tried.

As we walked towards Jag's target, I couldn't help but wonder who good he was. He had said that he was an excellent shot, but how good was he really?

Then we reached the target. Swan stared at it, and then asked, "_You_ shot these?", looking at Jag.

Jag nodded, obviously uncomftorable. I shouldered my way in to see the target, and stared. Every single bullet had found the bulls-eye. And Jag had finished shooting before all of us.

We all stared at Jag, and then the target, and then back at Jag. "How?" We all asked at the same time.

"Instinctive shooting." He replied quietly, "I taught myself." I opened my mouth to ask him how and why, as only Scorpia taught that way, when...

The bell rang. Jag was off as fast he could, yelling behind him, "We've got the Assault Course next!"

"Saved by the bell." I grumbled.

** 1,122 words! That's not counting the chapter title or bold print. I'm so happy. 'sniff'**

*** I'm not sure how long it really should take, so I'm taking a guess.**

**Yeah! ****I ****posted! ****And ****like ****I ****said ****above, ****I ****am ****very ****sorry ****for ****not ****doing ****so ****on ****schedule .****Also, ****I ****will ****only ****be ****able ****to ****get ****in ****one ****more ****post ****before ****going ****on ****vacation. ****Please ****note ****that ****that ****is ****because ****I ****am ****going ****back ****to ****every-other-day-schedule. ****However, ****after ****that ****post, ****it ****will ****be ****at ****least ****another ****week ****before ****Chapter ****Nine ****is ****up. ****Sorry. ****Please ****review! ****(P.S. ****Reviews ****make ****me ****happy. ****Happiness ****makes ****me ****hyper. ****Hyperness ****makes ****me ****motivated. ****Motivation ****makes ****me ****write. ****Writing ****finishes ****chapters. ****Finished ****chapters ****get ****posted. ****Just ****a ****thought.)**** '****happy ****face****'**


	9. The Flashback

A New Identity

** Yay! I kept to my schedule! I'm really happy about this for those who haven't figured it out yet.**

**To:**

**Everyone who reviewed and/or complimented me- Thank you so much!**

**Anyways, disclaimer:**

**Me- He he he, I'm getting away with it!**

**Alex- Getting away with what?**

**Me- Uuummm, nothing?**

**Ben/Fox- Yeah right! She/He's getting away without putting a disclaimer on her fanfic!**

**Me- 'squeaks' No I'm not!**

**Alex- Oh, really? 'asks dangerously, eyes glinting'**

**Ben/Fox- You may as well confess and suffer less pain. Alex here doesn't like getting the credit taken away from Anthony Horowitz.**

**Wolf- Fox's right. Someone did it once, and, well, let's just say that they were in a coma for one and a half years.**

**Me- 'gulps' Really?**

**Alex- Yup. See, first I stabbed him in the gut, then I broke both his legs so he couldn't get away, and then I broke his wrists and all his fingers so he couldn't fight back. After that, I carved my initials into his cheek so he would know who did it. Then, I-**

**Me- 'runs away screaming' Alright, I don't own Alex Rider! I admit it! I'm sorry!**

**Alex- 'nods, satisfied, and grins evily'**

**Please tell me if you don't like it. Also, this will probably only happen rarely, as I don't really have that much time.**

Chapter Eight: The Flashback

_Jag__'__s __POV_:

I sighed as I ran. I had almost wrecked my cover. Everyone here at Brecon Beacons knew that only Scorpia taught instinctive shooting.

It was only pure luck that they had believed me. I would have to be careful, I realized. I couldn't afford to make that kind of mistake again. But I had to improve, too. And that meant doing my best. I would have to risk it, I decided. They had already seen me shoot, anyways. Doing it again wouldn't hurt.

The good thing was that, after only a day of knowing them, I trusted my unit, even if Monkey was a bit too hyper for my liking. And I could tell that they trusted me, too.

Then I remembered, they care about me, too. I could see it in their eyes, but also in their actions. I couldn't help but think back to this morning...

_ We had walked into breakfast, laughing at Monkey, who had made a beeline for the 'wonderful pancakes and bacon' that he had been sure would be therre. He crumpled to the ground, yelling 'NOOOO!" when he realized that we would be gettting something entirely different, mush._

_ Then the trouble started. A big, extremely buff man with dark brown hair and eyes stalked (more like stomped, I couldn't help but think) his way up to me, scowling._

_ "Well, well, who do we have here?" He asked. I just stood there, eyeing him. Meanwhile, the rest of my unit were starting to realize what was happening, and turned around._

_ "Hey!" Lion yelled, "Get away from Jag!" The man snorted, and I couldn't help but ask, "Are you part pig?" At that, most of my unit groaned (Monkey laughed), but I honestly couldn't help it._

_ Just then, a short, wiry man with red hair and blue eyes replied, "Nope! He's part buffalo!"_

_ "Mouse!" The part-buffalo-man growled. "Just because my name is Buffalo doesn't mean-"_

_ "Of course it does," Monkey interrupted, flashing a quick grin at me, "don't you know? They name you after the animal that you're related to!"_

_ The man opened his mouth, no doubt to say some more, but, once again, someone interrupted him._

_ "Just get out of here." Lion growled. "And stay away from my unit!"_

_ Once Buffalo left, Mouse said, "Sorry about Buffalo, he's a little sour about not getting the leader position. Instead, he's the comms specialist. I'm Mouse, by the way. I'm the medic of B-Unit. Buffalo's my unitmate."_

_ We all nodded politely, and he left. Cobra immediately turned to me, "You alright, Jag?" I nodded, "Thanks, but, why did you do it?"_

_ "Do what?" Lion asked, puzzled._

_ "Defend me. You could have just left me by myself, but instead..." I trailed off._

_ "Of course we defended you, you're a part of our unit, our unitmate. And unitmates stick together." Monkey took over, souning serious for once._

I sighed again, maybe Mrs. Jones was right. Maybe this would be good for me, teach me to trust others. And maybe, maybe I would gain a family, too.

**Sorry it's so short, I was thinking about joining this chapter with another one, but decided against it. Also, please remember that I will not be able to update for another week, as I'm going on vacation. Please review!**


	10. The Assault Course

A New Identity

**Alright, I'm back from vacation! Also, I am soooo embarassed, I only just realized that I put 'extremely butt man' instead of 'extremely buff man' in The Flashback. I will make sure to change it. I'm sorry for those of you who were confused. Thank you to :**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you so much, you really made me happy. That would be a thanks to _Rosiedude_, _J._, _xDarklightx_, _PartyPony2_, _snowflake13300_, _Synchro lover_, _yashendra2797_, and _TheAwesomeJellyBean_.)**

**I do not own Alex Rider, Anthony Horowitz does.**

**To the chapter!**

Chapter Nine: The Assault Course

_Cobra's POV:_

We finally caught up to Jag at the Assault Course*. Almost automatically, Falcon, the instructor, began to send us in, one by one, every five minutes.

Lion went first, followed by Jag, and then Monkey. I was waiting for my turn when a figure came into view.

He ran across the exit of the Assault Course, and then turned and jogged back towards Falcon and I. Just then, another figure ran over. That's when the shouting started.

"How did you do it?" The second figure yelled. I started, that was Lion's voice, which meant only one thing. Jag or Monkey had passed him. But they had started five and ten minutes after Lion.

Then the first person reached us. It was Jag. Lion ran over, "How did you do it?" He repeated.

Jag replied, "Practice. Plus, I'm smaller than you, so I can fit where you can't. I'm also quicker, apparantly." Lion, Falcon, and I stared at him, but then nodded, accepting the reply.

All of a sudden, Monkey ran up. "Hey, what are you still doing here?" He asked me.

Falcon seemed to remember, and quickly shooed me towards the Assault Course. I entered.

It was crazy inside. I ahd to climb over walls, crawl under barbed wire, run across a field of mud with darts shooting all around me, swim across a river, and more. I jumped, ran, climbed, crawled, swam, dodged, dropped, swung, and more things that I cannot remember.

Finally, I ran across the finish, where Lion, Jag, Monkey, and Falcon were waiting. They all nodded at me, and then Falcon read out our times.

"Lion, eighteen twenty-one. Jag, thirteen oh two. Monkey, eighteen thirty-seven. Cobra, eighteen forty-three.** Good job, all of you. Especially Jag. That's our best beginner time."

We all nodded, happy with our times. Of course, we would try to get better, but in the meantime...

Then the bell rang.

Lion grinned, "Time for swimming."

**I'm really sorry about how short this chapter was. I was originally thinking of joining it with The Flashback, but, as you can see, decided against it.**

***Is that what it is? 'Cause that's what I've gotten from other fanfics.**

****Lion started before Jag, with a five minute difference. So if you were confused by the times, that's why.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. Swimming and a Dream

A New Identity

**Yay, another chapter's up! And it's my longest one, too. Anyways, to:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**Aestiva- I know, but he seemed to dark in all the other ones, so I decided to make a new (and improved, in my opinion) version of him. And don't worry, K-Unit will appear in the next chapter (chapter 11).**

**ReillyScarecrowRocks- I know there isn't that much description and info, but I can't really help it. I do believe that I am getting better, though. Also, when I read fanfics with a lot of info and description, I usually end up skipping a lot and going straight to the conversations and action. So I am also trying to not put in info that some of you aren't even going to read.**

**magicrazy101- What? Since when were there two chapters in one day? It was two chapters in one and a half weeks. Or did you just not read it until now?**

**I do not own Alex Rider.**

**Also, however, from now on, there will be places in this story where I think it is appropriate to have some cuss words. But, as this is rated K+, I will replace them with things like : 'Place choice words here.' or 'Fill in the blank.' Please note that this is because I do not want to be teaching some of you younger kids words that you shouldn't be using.**

Chapter Ten: Swimming and a Dream

_Cobra's POV:_

Jag froze and then relaxed. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Jag, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He muttered in that annoying way that, unfortunately, I figured we'd be hearing a lot.

"Place choice words here." I scoffed. "_Something's_ bothering you." Lion and Monkey both nodded in agreement.

"Fine." Jag said. "You want to know what's bothering me?" We all nodded.

"My scars. My body is covered in them. From the hit and run, which was a car accident, and also-" He hesitated, looking out at the forest that surrounded BB.

"Also what?" I prodded. He looked down at the greenish brown, trampled grass that covered the ground. "Also, I-I have two bullet wounds." He looked up, awaiting our reactions.

All of our faces were pictures of shock. We were most definitely not expecting that.

"You _what_?" I yelled, beginning to advance on our youngest unit mate.

"WAIT!" Lion cried, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

"What?" I asked him, glaring at him with as much ferocity as I could manage.

He looked at me and then said, "Jag told us he has two bullet wounds. That doesn't mean you can search him. We all need to earn each other's trust. Jag will show us when he's ready, not when you decide he's ready. But, Jag, when you're ready to show us, do so. We need to know where eventually." Jag nodded, relief evident on his face.

All of a sudden, I realized what this was like for him. He had had a horrible past, and for me to suddenly demand to know what it was, it just wasn't right.

"I'm sorry Jag, I didn't think. But, please, tell me, or one of us, eventually. Lion was right. We do need to know eventually." I told him. Jag nodded again, "Thanks, it's just, one of them isn't where I want anyone to know."

Then Lion decided to bark at us, "Well, what're we waiting for, let's go!"

* * *

><p><em>7 minutes later:<em>

We had raced as fast as we could to the lake, where we would be taking tests to see how fast we can swim.

Now, we were at the edge of the lake, staring across the murky water to the other side, which was half a mile away. The instructor, Dolphin, told us to swim from here to the opposite side and back as fast as we could.

We nodded, and began to strip. But then, Jag stopped at his shirt.

"Jag," I said gently (at least I hope so), "how about you show us where the bullet wounds are, and then we'll try to help as best we can."

He looked at me doubtfully.

"I promise, Jag, we _will_ help you." I told him.

"You can trust us." Lion added softly.

Jag looked at us, "I know." He said simply.

"Let's start with the one you don't mind showing us." I suggested.

"You haven't seen it yet?" He asked incredulously.

"What do you- Oh." I interrupted myself, seeing the scar on his leg, right above the knee.

"What happened?" Lion asked as I kneeled down to take a look.

"I got shot while on duty." He said simply. I nodded understandingly, after all, he had come from the army, it happened a lot. All the same, though, it definitely looked recent. It was still a slight red, not at all faded and white.*

"And the second wound?" Lion asked. Jag looked down, and, slowly, pulled his shirt up. Monkey, Lion, and I shared a questioning look, but watched as the shirt went over his head. He dropped it to the ground and then looked at his chest. We followed his gaze, and our jaws dropped before I rushed forward, examining the scar above Jag's heart.

"What happened?" Lion managed to choke out.

"I was fourteen. There was a bank robbery, and they shot me when I was trying to escape. This was the result." Jag said, gesturing towards his chest.

"I'm sorry." I said, stepping back.

"What for?" He asked, confused.

I replied, "Because of what you had to go through. Because this was you past instead of someone else's."

At that, he looked troubled, a frown going over his tanned face. "I'm glad this was me, instead of someone else. I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did."

I nodded, but inside I was thinking, _'Nobody should have to.' _Dolphin said, "Alright, this is all real sweet, but if we could get on with what we're supposed to be doing?"

This time, we all nodded, and lined up at the lake edge, ready to start.

"To the other side and back again as fast as you can. GO!" We dove in and began to swim.

_Lion's POV:_

I quickly noticed that, even with his past injuries, Jag was swimming pretty well. I was in the lead, Monkey behind me, then Jag, and Cobra was behind Jag. But Monkey and Jag were pretty close. Just about a foot separated them. Two feet was between Monkey and I, and three feet between Jag and Cobra.

My hands dipped in and out of the water as I briefly paused to check back on Jag. What I saw amazed me. He was swimming like a fish, going freestyle, the hands that propelled him barely even making a ripple, his feet not splashing. And then he passed Monkey.

I let out a choked (because of the water) cry of surprise as Jag started to gain on me, and I quickly began to swim faster.

Then I reached the other side. I turned around as fast as I could.

Finally, when we reached Dolphin, I was about half a foot in front of Jag. Then Monkey arrived, and Cobra 10 seconds after.

"Good job." Dolphin told us. "You got the best times so far for testing. Keep it up, and you may beat The Fish."

The Fish is what everyone calls F-Unit. They're made up of Shark- the leader, Octopus- the comms specialist, Eel- the medic, and Ray- short for 'Sting Ray', and the sharps shooter. Apparently, not even the sergeant had known he had named all of them after a sea creature until they all met.

They're the best swimmers, and no one has ever beat them in a race. The fact that we may be able to beat them, well, let's just say that we had to take care of our medic. 'cough', 'cough', he fainted, 'cough', 'cough'

Cobra had just been revived when the bell rang again. Dolphin jumped, obviously startled, and said, "Hurry up and get dressed! You've gotta run."

We all began before I paused, and, looking at him, puzzled, said, "How do you know our schedule?"

He looked at me, equally puzzled, "I don't."

Then Jag said, "Lion, he said, 'We've gotta run', not "We've got a run.'"

"Oh." I replied, feeling as stupid as Monkey was with the food this morning.

Dolphin sighed. "Just hurry, if you do have running next, Cheetah won't be lenient if you're late."

And, just like that, we were off.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, we all stumbled into our hut, exhausted. Jag immediately flopped onto his bed and went to sleep. Cobra leaned against the wall on his bed and began to read some medical book of one kind or another before falling asleep, too. Monkey chattered for about ten seconds before his body decided to shut down, mouth and all, and he followed his unit mates into a dream.<p>

But I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, counting the cracks for about an hour before succumbing to the Land of Sleep.

_ I found myself on a cliff, just standing there, listening to the screams of my unit mates and..._

_ Wait! Back up, 'screams of my unit mates'? I looked down. There, hanging about two feet below me, were Cobra, Monkey, and Jag. Each of them were barely hanging onto their handholds, feet hanging in midair._

_ "Help us, Lion!" They screamed at me. But, as I tried to move, I found myself frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch as, one by one, they all dropped._

_ Jag went first, a cry of help still on his lips._

_ Monkey followed, screaming, "I don't like this game!"_

_ Cobra was last, his yell of, "You killed us, Lion! Betrayed us!", echoing in my ears._

_ Only after they had all crashed and lay, broken, bleeding, and dead, at the bottom of the cliff, was I able to move._

I jolted awake, shaking. I was afraid, I realized. Afraid that I would hurt my unit, betray them.

It was in that instant that I decided that, no matter what, I would always be there for them. After all, we were a family.

**1, 481 words, not including the title or Author's Notes! 'hugs oneself with joy' I'm so happy!**

***Okay, so I don't know what a recent bullet wound would look like, or any at that, so I'm just guessing.**

**Also, I would like to say that I am back on my every-other-day schedule.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! You guys know it keeps me going, I love hearing from you guys.**


	12. How to Prank a Wolf

A New Identity

**Yes! Chapter Eleven is up! And it's my longest chapter yet! However, I need to say that I am extremely sorry for not posting yesterday like I said I would. I had to complete my homework and then got sucked into someone else's story. So I am sorry. I do not own Alex Rider. To:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you so much!**

**PartyPony2- I know, I couldn't help but put it in.**

**By the way, Jag is currently 20, but Alex is 17. And now for the chapter!**

Chapter Eleven: How to Prank a Wolf

_2 Years Later:_

_Jag's POV:_

We- D-Unit - were back at BB for a refresher course. The four of us had been on eight missions since our training. Thankfully, we had all escaped serious injury on all of them. However, at the same time, they realized that I wasn't afraid of doing stupid and idiotic stunts to get the mission done. Like how, when we had to retrieve a thumb drive with info on it, I dashed for it with the enemy firing on me. 'Extremely reckless', I believe, were Lion's exact words.

At the moment, Cobra had just completed the Assault Course, and Lion was waving me on, stopwatch in hand. I was the last to go.

I emerged from the Course to see my unit talking with four people... I frowned, they looked kinda familiar...

I went into the forest and crept up. "Fill in the blank!" I gasped, it was K-Unit! Wolf, Snake, Eagle, and Fox (I had heard he rejoined the SAS after my supposed death.) were all here, talking to my unit.

But I had a plan.

_Several Minutes Earlier:_

_Wolf's POV:_

I paused as we entered Brecon Beacons. We were here for a refresher course along with six other units.

Of course, by now everyone had heard about Cub's death, and there was even a memorial here at BB for him, in front of the 'welcome center' that was the sergeant's office. We had all learned that Cub was actually a hero, saving the world several times.

I stopped, as I always did, at Cub's memorial. He was buried here, below the memorial. It read:

Alex Rider/Cub

Beloved Son, Friend, and Partner

Will always be remembered

for how far he went.

January 13, 1993-September 30, 2008

Fox whispered, "I'm sorry, Alex.", as he dropped a rose in front of it. Eagle, Snake, and I followed suit silently.

Then Eagle sighed and suggested, "Assault Course?" Fox nodded, but we could all tell that he was depressed. Out of all four of us, Fox had been hit the hardest by Cub's death, had been closest to him, and, I think, even blamed himself for the death of our youngest unit mate.

We walked away, and soon the Assault Course appeared, along with three men.

"Shoot!" Snake exclaimed, "Another unit's using it." I sighed but said, "They may be almost done. Let's go anyways." My unit nodded, and we approached the other men.

_Monkey's POV:_

I bounced on the balls of my feet, impatient for Jag to be done. After all, he had said that he had candy in the hut! I groaned in pleasure at the thought of candy- milky ways, reese's cups, hershey kisses, snickers,* aaahhh.

Cobra and Lion shot me weirded-out glances, but I ignored them. I was used to it.

All of a sudden, "Hey! Who're you?", someone asked. The three of us whirled around, startled, to face what looked like another unit.

"D-Unit." Lion replied, "Who're you?"

"K-Unit." Someone that looked like the leader replied.

"You mean, the unit that Cub belonged to?" I asked, momentarily forgetting what everyone told us; to never, no matter who much you wanted to, mention Cub.

Anger, sadness, and grief flashed through all four men's eyes. Anger I guess for mentioning Cub, and sadness and grief because of what happened.

"Yes." A Scottish-looking man replied, obviously restraining the other men and himself from throwing themselves at me.

"I'm Snake, this is Eagle, Fox, and Wolf." Each man nodded at us in turn.

Lion nodded back, "I'm Lion, this is Monkey and Cobra. Jag, our sharpshooter, is inside the Assault Course."

"Jag?" Wolf asked curiously.

"It's short for Jaguar." I replied, eager to tell them about the nickname I made for him. Unfortunately, Snake interrupted.

"So, you almost done?" Snake asked. We nodded, "Jag's the last one."

_Wolf's POV:_

We waited for several minutes before I asked, "What's Jag's time?"

Lion quickly checked and, eyes widening, replied, "Twenty fifty-one."

"He's _that_ slow?" I asked in disbelief.

"Of course not!" Cobra exclaimed. "He's the fastest out of al of us. He even holds the SAS record for it!"

"_He's_ the one with a time of nine thirty-seven?" Fox asked.

They nodded, "His first time was thirteen oh two. It was like he had done it before!"

"Wow." We said softly.

"But this means two things." Cobra said with a mixture of worry and anger in his voice.

"What?" I asked, pretty sure that there was only one.

"One, he's gotten himself hurt by doing something incredibly reckless like he usually does. Or two," Cobra rolled his eyes, his voice thick with annoyance, "he searched my calendar again and discovered that I would be checking his bullet wounds today."

"Bullet _wounds_?" Eagle asked from where he was playing rock, paper, scissors with Monkey.

Cobra, Monkey, and Lion nodded. "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure it's the second option." Lion said, shifting and reaching for his back pocket.

"He didn't." Cobra hissed. (Ironic, don't you think?)

"He did." Lion sighed as he showed us a note with neat, printed words on it.

"What does it say?" Monkey asked, his curiousness obvious.

"It says:

_ Dear D- Unit,_

_ I have gone to my hut, and will see you there. Lion, as I'm certain you didn't see me emerge or felt when I slipped this into your pocket, my time is nine thirty-five. See you at the hut._

_ Your youngest unit mate,_

_ Jag_

_P.S. Hello to Wolf, Fox, Eagle, and Snake._

_P.P.S. To K-Unit- if you're wondering how I know who you are, just ask my unit._"

Silence. That was all there was for about one minute. Then, "So, how does Jag know who we are?" Fox asked.

"That's easy." Lion replied. He shared a glance with his unit mates, then they said in unison, "It's Jag. He knows everything."

"Now," Cobra snarled, "I'm going to the hut to get Jag's wounds checked."

"Er, Cobra?" Monkey asked. "When was the last time you actually got him?"

Cobra was silent for a few seconds before he replied, "Last September." I was dumbstruck. Whoever Jag was, he was a master at not getting caught. This month was March!

"Wait." Fox frowned, "The letter said, 'Your _youngest_ unit mate'."

Lion nodded, "Yeah, he's twenty. He joined the army at sixteen and the SAS at eighteen. He's actually the youngest in the SAS at the moment."

"And he's the best in the unit?" Snake asked in disbelief. Cobra nodded, "He usually comes in first or second for everything that we do. A few things that he doesn't are first-aid, communications, and a bunch of other random stuff that has nothing to do with the SAS."

"Anyways," Lion added, "We really should be going now."

I quickly made a split second decision and said, "We'll come you. I think we're all anxious to meet Jag." Lion nodded, and we headed for D-Unit's hut.

We got there in about six minutes. Lion opened the door and waved us inside. Monkey began to bounce inside with Eagle, but I shouldered my way inside first, anxious to meet the young man that held so much respect and was like a younger brother to D-Unit.

I felt my ankle brush up against a wire of some sort and stumbled. It was followed by a bucket of what felt like glue. Then a light shower of pink (?) came down. It was finished off with a white banner that draped itself over my shoulders.

_Jag's POV:_

I waited impatiently on my bed, the prank all set. Then the door opened, and in walked... Wolf!

Before I could yell for him to stop, the big, easy-to-anger, all-made-of-muscle, SAS soldier tripped over the trip wire, setting off the prank that had been carefully set up.

All of it came crashing down. The glue, pink sequins and feathers, banner, perfectly set up prank, and my reputation as the Prankster King.

Wolf stood there, mouth open in shock, as the glue, sequins, feathers, and banner settled. In a flash, I was on my feet, yelling at him.

"You stupid SAS soldier!" I shrieked. "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" I ignored the gales of laughter and shocked looks.

"That prank was for _Monkey_! Not you! It was set up just right! Planned just right!" I collapsed back down on my bed.

Then Lion slowly asked, "You mean, you _missed_?"

I glared at him, "Yes! How was I to know K-Unit would come visit? How was I to know that Wolf would take Monkey's place at the front? I wasn't! And now I've missed!"

Lion, Cobra, and Monkey stared at me, and then erupted into cheers.

"Yes! The Prankster King is _down_!"

"Finally! He actually failed!

"Yes! He missed me! He missed me!" (The last one was said in a sing-songy voice.)

"_What_ just happened?" Snake asked, staring at his unit's leader.

"What just happened is that Jag missed! His record is gone! Dissolved! He failed! Prankster King is no more!" Lion cheered.

"Er, no, I meant, why is Wolf covered in glue, pink sequins and feathers, and a banner that says 'Hi! I'm the Pink Sparkly Chicken Princess!' on it in pink?" Snake asked, rephrasing his original question.

"I'm _what_?" Wolf yelled.

"Covered in glue, pink sequins and feathers, and a banner that says 'Hi! I'm the Pink Sparkly Chicken Princess!' on it in pink." Lion replied in an extremely dismissive tone.

"But see, Monkey tried to prank Jag yesterday, so Jag here has obviously just tried to get back at him with one of his best pranks so far. But he missed, and Wolf here got pranked instead." Lion continued.

"That's it." Wolf growled. "I'm telling the sergeant."

"He won't be mad, you know. He's perfectly fine with us pranking each other." I finally said, cooled down enough to see how good my prank was. And, wow, it turned out fantastic, if I do say so myself.

"And why is that?" Wolf asked scathingly. I frowned. Was he frothing at the mouth?

Dismissing it, I replied, "Because he believes that it trains us to be ready for anything and on the lookout."

Wolf frowned at me, but said, "Fine, But what was it about the 'Prankster King'?"

Monkey chose to respond and said, "The Prankster King is, or was-"

"Is." I interrupted him. "I'm still the best out of everyone, even if I'm no longer perfect."

He nodded in acceptance and continued, "Someone, in this case Jag, who is better at everyone else at pranking and getting pranked."

"What do you mean?" Eagle asked.

"He means that Jag's pranks have always worked, and, until now, Jag has always hit who he meant to. He's also avoided everyone else's pranks, sometimes making them backfire onto the person who set it up." Cobra replied. "Until now, Jag's been perfect."

We all looked at each other. Then eagle and Monkey said in unison, "So, who's ready for dinner?"

**So there it is. My longest chapter yet at 1,863 words, not counting the title or author's notes.**

***Again, don't know if any of these besides milky ways are in England. Just putting in some random candies.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I need them as much as you need my chapters.**


	13. A Hunting We Will Go

A New Identity

**Who's ready for the second to last chapter? All of you? Well I'm sorry to disappoint, but this is the twelfth of fifteen chapters!**

**Anyways, this was originally going to be the second to last chapter. Then I realized that there has been almost no action, so I changed the ending. So now you get four more chapters (counting this one) instead of only two.**

**To:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you, as always.**

**Rosiedude- Yeah, it's my favorite part, too. Well, except for the prank. But they were kinda two different sections in one chapter, so each can be my favorite part in the two sections. :)**

**I do not own Alex Rider. Here we go!**

Chapter Twelve: A Hunting We Will Go

_Jag's POV:_

We headed outside after Wolf had washed off all of the glue, sequins, and feathers, ready for dinner- even if it would just be mush. Unfortunately, I could tell Fox knew something was up, because he kept shooting glances at me.

Of course, I remembered, he had recognized me as an Afghan refugee. But, all the same, it had been two and a half years, and he thought I (Alex Rider/Cub) was dead. I also had black hair and blue eyes.

Suddenly, a motor sounded from above us. We all looked up to see three silver chinook helicopters.

People dressed in black rained down on us, starting to fight us before they even landed. A silver symbol on one man's shoulder caught my eye, and I gasped. I know who these people are.

The eight of us (Wolf, Eagle, Fox, and Snake- K-Unit, and Lion, me (Jag/Jaguar), Monkey, and Cobra- D-Unit) sprang into action.

I went into autopilot, ducking, punching, kicking, dodging, and leaping.

After about five minutes, a cry reached my ears. I twisted around to see Snake falling, knocked out from an uppercut.

More men joined the fight, swiftly taking out Monkey and then Cobra and Eagle. Almost automatically, the four of us left began to fight harder, trying to reach our unit mates as they were loaded into the chinooks.

"Shoot them!" A man screamed, obviously angered that we were being so difficult. All the same, a ray of hope sparked as I spotted several other units running towards us, about four minutes away.

However, my hopes were quickly distinguished as a man in black shot Fox with a tranquilizer dart, catching him in his right thigh.

Lion went down next with a dart in his hand. Then it was just Wolf and I.

"I gotta admit, kid!" Wolf yelled at me, "You're pretty good!"

"Don't call me kid!" I yelled back as he stumbled and fell, a tranquilizer dart in his left calf.

I spotted the man with the tranquilizer gun aiming at me, and I quickly dodged the dart that followed.

Unfortunately, that got me into the perfect position for a punch to the stomach, which was quickly followed with another tranquilizer dart.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was Wolf being loaded into a chinook.

* * *

><p><em>Wasp's POV:<em>

I had just sat down for dinner with my unit (L) when the sounds of fighting reached us. We quickly leapt up and ran towards it with the other units close behind.

Within minutes, we spotted D and K Units fighting against men dressed all in black. From our vantage point, we could see that four men were unconscious, and the remaining four needed help.

We watched in horror as the remaining conscious men were apparently knocked out with tranquilizer darts and loaded into the helicopters.

However, as soon as we were close enough, I fired a tracking device that latched onto a helicopter. Then the three chinooks lifted off and soared away.

I let out a groan at telling the sergeant that two of his best units (one of which was his best- K-Unit) had been captured.

* * *

><p><em>BB, Sergeant's Office:<em>

_3rd POV:_

"WHAT! What do you mean D and K Units have been captured?" The sergeant yelled, following it up with several choice words that the unit leaders winced at.

"Exactly that, sir." Wasp said. "However, I did place a tracking device on a chinook, and it can only be assumed that all three were going to the same place."

The sergeant nodded, "Good. You're dismissed. I need to think this through." The unit leaders nodded, saluted, and then proceeded to leave.

* * *

><p><em>Some Remote Area in the US:<em>

_3rd POV:_

A man dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, black button-down-shirt, and loafers carefully observed the person seated in front of him, who was dressed all in black. The two were inside the dressed up man's office. The office was small and square, with only one desk, two chairs (which the two men were sitting in), and one small picture of a desert that hung on a wall. The chairs were none too comfy, and the man in black shifted a little before speaking.

"The mission was accomplished, Sir. However, there were a few complications."

"Like what, Drew*?" Sir asked.

"There was another unit with K-Unit, so we had to take them, too. However, we now hold in our position the best SAS unit and one other."

Sir nodded, "Good. And don't worry about the other unit, we'll be able to use them as well. Just don't make a mistake like that again."

Drew nodded, "I won't, Sir." He stood up to leave, but Sir stopped him with a raised hand.

"You know what, Drew?" Sir asked, tilting his head.

"What, Sir?" Drew responded.

Sir raised his other hand. It held a gun. He shot, just once, but hit the other man in the heart.

Drew was pushed back by the force of the bullet, and he hit the wall, spraying blood, and then slumped to the floor, dead.

"I don't believe you." Sir said coldly.

**Sorry to everyone who is named Drew, or knows a friend or family member named Drew. I was actually listening to Teardrops on My Guitar, trying to think of a name, and then it was like one of those cartoons with the lightbulb. So, yeah. I don't mean to offend anyone. And I really do like Taylor Swift. And Nancy Drew (although the Hardy Boys are better). It just seemed like a good name. And now I'm rambling...**

**Anyways, Sir and Drew are both OCs. And if you're wondering, here are the jobs of the units (what I think they'd be anyway):**

**K-Unit:**

**Wolf- leader**

**Snake- medic**

**Fox- communications and electronics specialist**

**Eagle- sharpshooter**

**D-Unit:**

**Lion- leader**

**Cobra- medic**

**Monkey- communications and electronics specialist**

**Jaguar (Jag)- sharpshooter**

**Alright, who knows who has captured D and K Units? One companion story when I'm done for every five people who guess correctly. But it's only until I've posted the next chapter.**

**And you all probably know what I'm going to say next. To review. And you know, it's sooo easy. You just scroll down and click the little button there that says 'Review this Chapter'. Then you type out what you want to say (possibly logging in first) and then click 'Submit Feedback/Review'. And then you're done! So, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. The Cub is Out of the Bag

A New Identity

**Oh my goodness, I am soooo sorry! I hadn't finished the chapter yet, so I couldn't update. To:**

**everyone who reviewed (that would be a total of 25 people)- Thank you!**

**everyone who guessed correctly (that would be a total of 16 people, sorry headslap99, you reviewed twice with the same wording)- Thanks, that means I have to write three companion stories for A New Identity. However, these will be coming after all of my other stories that have yet to be posted are up.**

**ephemeral violet- Are you psychic or something? 'Cause that's just scary... You'll see what I mean when you read the title. But no, I didn't take the idea from you, I made it myself. :)**

**Rosiedude- Sorry, but no.**

**krystalanimeheart- You'll see. 'cackles evilly'**

**PartyPony2- Yeah, I know it's not really original, but I couldn't really help it. It was the only thing out of many ideas that I had that would work.**

**TheAwesomeJellyBean- See my response to krystalanimeheart.**

**SilverMoonEyes23- Thank you! But I gotta say, why doubt it's SCORPIA? I said silver symbol and silver chinooks, and it's a well used idea. Sorry, but I thought it'd be obvious. That was why I didn't put a hint. Or is it because it's a well used idea that you doubted it? Hmmm, now you've got me thinking.**

**Okay, now you've probably guessed who it was, and you are cccooorrreeecccttt! (sorry, had to do it) The answer is SCORPIA! I do not own Alex Rider. Warning: Some minor sexual references, it's just a little, so I'm not bothering with changing the story to T. Personally, I think it'd be pointless. On with the story!**

Chapter Thirteen: The Cub is out of the Bag

_Somewhere in the US;_

_SCORPIA Headquarters;_

_11:39 PM;_

_4 hours and 28 minutes captured;_

_Snake's POV:_

I let out a groan as I awoke. Boy, did I have a headache. I allowed myself to simply lat there before I jolted up, remembering what had happened.

Upon opening my eyes, I found myself in a square, stone room. I estimated that it was about twelve by twelve, and was completely bare except for me and my unconscious unit mates, including D-Unit. Now, while my headache and situation didn't fully wake me up, this certainly did!

I let out a shout as I discovered Eagle's nose in a place that I'll spare you the displeasure of knowing. After doing a quick inventory, I realized that I should try to wake up Cobra first, as he was the other medic and could help me.

I moved towards him and, after checking him over and deciding that his worst injury was going to be a rather nasty black eye, I quickly shook him, telling him to wake up.

Another two minutes passed before his eyes opened and he blinked blearily up at me.

"Hey, Cobra." I said, "Can you help me look at the others? They're still out."

"What? Where? Why? Who? How?" Cobra blurted out.

"You done?" I asked. He nodded sheepishly.

"Okay, we've been captured, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, and they sent men who knocked us out and took us away. I'm also thinking that we should go down a row, each of us attending to our own unit mates."

Cobra nodded again, and we both set to work. Eagle and Monkey were easily awoken, but Fox, Lion, Wolf, and Jag refused to wake up, no matter how hard we shook them.

Suddenly I froze, cursing myself for being so stupid. There was a dart sticking out of Fox's right thigh, obviously containing something that kept him unconscious.

"Hey, guys!" I called. The other three looked up. Eagle was trying to wake Wolf up. Wait, does he have his tongue in Wolf's ear? Never mind. Anyways, Monkey was attempting to wake up Lion while Cobra was tending to Jag.

"What?" Cobra snapped. "I'm trying to wake up Jag!"

Monkey froze and turned to Cobra, his hazel eyes wide with shock and fear, as he spluttered, "Jag isn't waking up? But he's a really light sleeper! And how did he even get knocked out? He's the best fighter out of all of us!"

Okay, maybe we should make that, 'as he babbled'. 'Cause, wow, that man can babble! I listened in shock as Monkey continued to out-babble Eagle.

Then I shook my head and yelled, "Shut up!" Everyone stopped babbling or doing anything and turned to me.

I held up the dart that I had taken out of Fox's leg, "Tranquilizer darts."

"Oh." The other three said. They quickly found and took out the darts. Monkey found Lion's in his hand. Wolf's was discovered in his left calf. Cobra searched for Jag's before finding it in his arm.

Exactly two minutes (I was wearing a watch) later, Fox let out a groan. He was waking up. As he struggled to sit up, pushing against my hand, Lion awoke. Wolf quickly followed, but all three were conscious and sitting up before Jag stirred.

But why would that be? They should have woken up after the same amount of time had passed, and yet Jag awoke a whole two minutes after he should have.

I was interrupted out of my thinking when Jag let out a pained gasp. Probably, I reckoned, from Cobra gently pressing on his ribs.

Cobra frowned, "Probably cracked, maybe broken, but not likely. What happened?"

Jag replied, "Some gorilla decided to pound me. I couldn't dodge."

Lion nodded, "Anyways, what happened after I got knocked out?"

"Nuh-uh." I interrupted. "What happened after _I_ got knocked out? After all, I went down first."

Jag shifted, hand on his ribs, as he got ready to speak. "Well, as you know, you got knocked out first. Monkey followed when he tripped and smacked his head against a rock. Cobra and Eagle both went down next. I couldn't tell who was first though, it looked like it was at the same time. Anyways, then a guy screamed at the people fighting us to shoot us. At first, I thought he meant with a gun, but realized it was a tranquilizer when I saw a dart sticking out of Fox's thigh. As you can guess, Fox went down first. Lion followed a few seconds later, leaving just Wolf and I. Wolf yelled at me that, 'I gotta admit, kid! You're pretty good!', exact wording, by the way. I yelled back at him to not call me kid when he went down. The guy shot me with a dart, but I dodged. That was when the gorilla punched me and the guy got a dart in my shoulder."

D-Unit seemed to accept Jag's story, but I have to say, I was pretty skeptical.

"You mean, Wolf and Lion both went down before you? C'mon, Jag, they're the unit leaders. There's no way you could fight better than them." I protested.

Cobra, Monkey, and Lion automatically stood up, ready to defend Jag, but Wolf shook his head. "Jag is right, Snake. He was the last one fighting."

"Oh. Uh, sorry then, I guess, Jag." Jag nodded, accepting my apology. All the same, I felt pretty bad. After all, I had just said I didn't believe him. And that meant I didn't trust him. And trust is sometimes the thing that makes you believe.

_Jag's POV:_

I wasn't really liking Snake at the moment. The reason why you probably already know, though. But Wolf and Eagle seem okay, and Fox of course used to be like a brother to me. So I trust him. And of course my unit is like family.

Before I could continue my thoughts, we heard a clanging noise, and then the cell door (which was made of iron bars, unlike the stone walls) swung open.

A man dressed in khaki slacks, black button-down shirt, and loafers walked in, flanked by two guards. Unfortunately, more guards stood outside the door, so even if we beat the people in her, we'd still have to get passed them. The man who was dressed up opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

"So, what's the occasion? I hope you didn't do all this just for us." I gasped and said, "No! You're not here for" my voice dropped to a whisper, "our _bodies_, are you? I mean, I still haven't lost my virginity."

At that, my unit groaned, K-Unit looked at me as if I were crazy, and Dude Who Dressed Up- I'll just call him Dude- stared at me, eyes flashing with anger.

"Oh my goodness, that's _not_ what you're here for? I am sooo sorry." I cried. Hmm, maybe I'm overdoing it. From everybody's expressions, I figured I was right.

Dude glared at me and said, "I guess we'll start early. Grab him." He pointed at me. Right then, I decided to do a little acting.

"You mean you _are_ going to do it?" I pinched myself hard enough to make my eyes water- and believe me, that's hard- and then squeezed the liquid out. Fake tears that are real, gotta love 'em.

"No, please! Don't make me!" I cried, throwing myself to the ground and holding clasped hands up at Dude. "I'm too young for this!"

He frowned at me, "Hurry up!" Okay, that wasn't directed to me, but to the guards. Said guards rushed forward and grabbed me, holding my hands behind my back so I couldn't retaliate. Then they stood me up and made me walk forwards.

"Wait!" Lion cried. "Y-you won't hurt him?"

"Oh, we'll hurt him, alright." Dude smiled evilly. "We'll hurt him bad. Take him away!" The last thing I saw before I was carted away was my unit banging on the door, demanding for me to be let go.

I was led through a maze of hallways. All of them were a dirty gray and definitely smelled. The farther away we got from the cell, the smellier it got, and I figured we were underground. The smellier the area was, the farther away we were from the entrance/exit.

"Is it always this smelly?" I asked, wrinkling my nose. No answer. "Fine, didn't know it was taboo." Was that an eye-roll? Huh, that's the most expression any of my enemies have ever shown at my humor. Ah well, you know how they are.

And, so far, I figured I knew how this would go. They ask me questions. I sarcastically respond. They torture me for info. I sarcastically respond. They get annoyed and angry. They torture me for fun. They drag my bloody, broken body back to the cell. Sounds like fun, right? Yeah, for those of you out there who are thinking I'm crazy, that was sarcasm, aka my best friend. But, really, one of my best friend's names is Sarcasm.* Weird, right? Anyways, back to me getting led down a dirty, smelly, gray hallway.

All of a sudden, I was shoved through a doorway, my arms yanked up and tied to a ring above my head that was attached to the wall, and, at some point, my shirt was ripped off.

"Oi!" I yelled, "I'd like to keep the shirt!"

"Why?" Another man asked. "So we don't see your pitiful muscles?"

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'. "So I won't embarrass you with my _fabulous_ muscles, that _you_ don't have." The man glowered at me, but didn't deny it. Ha! Got you there!

"Oh, I assure you. While these men may not seem like much, Kinyesi will break you." Dude told me. I gaped at him. Did he seriously just say 'Kinyesi'? Does he not know that Kinyesi... Woah. That is one big man.

"Hola. Me llamo Kinyesi."** Huh, he speaks Spanish. Well, that would explain the name.

"Hola. Me llamo Muerto."*** He just looked at me. That wasn't the reaction I was looking for.

"Well, SAS soldier, I will be asking you questions. If you don't answer, Kinyesi will hurt you." Dude told me.

"Oooohhh, I'm so scared." I joked. Dude ignored me.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"You do know that it's rude to ask for someone's name before telling yours, right?" Dude glared at me and nodded at Kinyesi.

I steeled myself for the pain, but nothing could have prepared me for the whip that came whipping**** down. Biting down a cry of pain, I told Dude, "I answered! Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean you can hurt me!"

"Oh, well then I'll rephrase that. If you don't answer with an answer that I like, Kinyesi will hurt you." Dude spat.

* * *

><p><em>30 minutes later:<em>

"Just tell me your Place choice words here name!" Dude screamed at me.

I couldn't help but sigh, "C'mon, you've been at this for God know how long. And, if my counting is correct, you've asked me the same question exactly 37 times." Dude glared at me, anger burning his eyes.

"Fine," he hissed, "if that's how you want it, we'll try a new direction to this... problem." I snorted, like that would get me to reveal anything. He, or rather, Kinyesi, had already tortured me by using an assorment of whips. My back had been so badly mutilated, it made my burns look like they'd been cause by a match. Or at least, that's what I was guessing from the amount of pain I was currently feeling. Not that I would ever say so.

But, well, you know how I thought that the new torture method wouldn't get me to reveal anything? Yeah, that changed as soon as six men brought in a slanted table with shackles on it. I knew what was coming. Waterboarding. And, while I definitely wouldn't say anything, the water would wash off my hair dye and contacts.***** Now _that_ would definitely reveal something. And that something was that I was Alex Rider. Oh, and by the way, if you think otherwise, this is SCORPIA we're talking about. They probably have my file and picture. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure I was Number 1 on their MWD (Most Wanted Dead) list.

The guards walked over to me and grabbed the rope I was attached to. They then hauled me over to the table and put me on, head on the lowest part of the table, and attached the shackles. I winced, not only because the shackles were too tight, but because once they discovered my real identity, they would discover more information.

I spluttered as the water washed down. Soon I began to choke, and heard Dude ask me my name. The water ceased.

"Go to hell!" I told him. The water began to run again. I felt a flash of horror as I felt the weight on my head begin to lessen.****** That was when I heard, "You're wearing _hair dye_?" Uh oh, there go the contacts. "And... are those contacts? _Blue_ contacts?"

A few minutes passed before the water stopped. I was certain that that was because all the hair dye and contacts were out.

"Alex Rider?" Dude cried. Yup, all the hair dye and contacts are out.

I turned and glared at him. "Really? Is that who I am? Thank you sooo much for telling me. So, now that you know who I am, why don't you tell me who you are?"

"Do not speak to me like that." Dude snapped at me.

"Dude, that's what I've been speaking like the entire time I've been here. And, seriously, I'm getting tired of calling you 'Dude' in my head. By the way, that's short for 'Dude Who Dressed Up'. Just thought you'd wanna know."

Silence. Dead silence. That's all there was for several minutes before Dude said, "Tie him back up! It's time he learned how much getting tortured really hurts. And, by the way, my name is _Sir_, not 'Dude Who Dressed Up'."

"Whoops! My mistake." I grinned. Of course, then they decided to tie me back up on the wall. Sir proceeded to direct Kinyesi- seriously, who'd name their child _that_?- in torturing me.

Now, since I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear about all of the gruesome details, I'll just say that by the time Sir deemed it fit to stop, I looked as if I'd gone through a blender -clothes and all. If you're wondering, I know this because Sir decided to let me watch myself get tortured, and set up a mirror right in front of me. So, yeah, I look like Choose a bad word and put it here. Suddenly, Kinyesi hit me over the head, and I blacked out.

* * *

><p><em>Lion's POV:<em>

It had been at least two hours, but Jag still wasn't back. So, naturally, we were all pretty worried. Wolf broke the anxious silence with, "So, uh, Jag. Is he always like that?"

"You mean what he did to the guy who's in charge?" I asked.

Wolf nodded, "Yeah, it just seemed at bit... theatrical. Wait, no, that's not the right word. Maybe, sarcastic?"

I couldn't help but grin, "Yeah, he always does that with our enemies. Unfortunately, it gets him targeted the most. I don't think he even means to do it. It just seems to slip out."

Fox frowned, "Ya know, he reminds me of someone I used to know. The only difference is his hair and eyes."

"Really?" Cobra asked, "Who?"

Fox looked down, "Cub." Snake opened his mouth, probably to say something reassuring, but was interrupted by the door as it clanged open. All of us whirled around to see a man -or is it a boy?- get thrown in. He was covered in blood and bruises, and one arm definitely wasn't supposed to be in that position. Two jugs of water and several rolls of bandages followed.

"Here," a guard grunted, "use these to clean him up. Sir wants him ready for more in one week." As soon as the door closed, Cobra and Snake leapt into action.

They carefully positioned the man and poured water on his face, revealing it to be Jag's. Fox, however, apparently had a different opinion.

"A- Cub?" He gasped as Jag opened his eyes. Jag peered at him, "Fox, I'll be Cub when my torturer's name is Poop."

Just then, "Wow, Jag. How'd you get your hair and eyes to change color?" Monkey gasped.

"I'm just cool like that." Jag mumbled as his eyes fell shut.

"Ah, man! I wanna be cool like that!" Monkey and Eagle whined at the same time.

"Unbelievable." Wolf and I muttered in unison.

"I know, right? How come Jag can be cool like that and we can't?" Eagle asked, pouting. I rolled my eyes as I stepped over to Jag, who's last wound was getting bandaged.

"So, uh, how did his hair and eyes change color?" I asked.

"Who knows?" Cobra replied, "And, knowing Jag, we certainly won't. Anyways," he continued, guessing what my next question was going to be, "he has one broken arm, three broken ribs, 50 different lacerations on his back, seven knife wounds, and what looks like a scorpion carved into his palm. I'm also guessing waterboarding, since his shoes and pants were damp. However, his torturer seems to have avoided the waist down, and focused on Jag's chest, back, arms, and face."

"Kinyesi will definitely break him. He's a master at what he does, after all." Someone said, and we all turned to see two guards walking past.

Suddenly, Fox darted forward and asked, "Wait, is Kinyesi the man who tortured my friend?"

One of the guards nodded, "And he'll break him, too, believe me!" Once the guards were gone, Fox turned back to us, his face ashen.

"What is it, Fox?" Wolf asked urgently.

Suddenly, Fox face palmed, groaning, "This is just what he'd do! He answered the question, and we thought he wasn't Cub!"

"Uh, what do you mean?" I asked, afraid that Fox had gone crazy.

But he turned to me and said, "Kinyesi, is Jag's torturer, but Kinyesi is Swahili for poop!"

**3,078 words, not including ANs or the title! Yay! I'm so happy right now! Longest chapter so far! :)**

**And yes, I was serious about that last line. In fact, I was planning it from the beginning of the chapter. :P**

***This is gonna be Monkey's name. Yeah, I know, weird name. But he had weird parents, alright? Don't question the author! But, yeah...**

****Hello, my name is Kinyesi.**

*****Hello, my name is Death.**

******Sorry for the bad pun, I couldn't help myself.**

*******Sorry if contacts can't be washed out with water. I wouldn't know.**

********Yes, this does happen. The hair dye actually puts more weight on your head, and you can feel the weight lessen when you wash it out.**

**I'd like to say that everyone who likes Percy Jackson and Lorien Legacies, I've got an idea posted on my profile. However, I won't be able to write it due to all of my other activities and ideas. It will all be explained on my profile.**

**I will also not be able to update as soon as I would hope. I only have two more chapters to post, and I've only written the last one. Whoops. So I'll try to update soon, but I can't promise anything.**

**And, I'm guessing you are all thinking of several different ways to kill me right now. Do tell in your reviews, I'd like to know so I can avoid your attempts. (Yes, this was a helpful hint to get you to review. *hint*hint*shove*shove*) Please review!**


	15. To Be Houdini

A New Identity

** And here is the second to last chapter! I'm sorry it's not as long as I would have liked it. To:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**krystalanimeheart- It's kinda both.**

**Ari'sWings- Thank you, and I'm sorry, I didn't know.**

**giverofgrace- Thank you so much! I'm pretty much with you about it, too. And you already know about two of those things. The other one is kind of there, but not really.**

**lia-leigh- I know, so do I!**

**Owltalon- (Warriors' name, maybe? Sorry, just a guess.) Um, sorry to a lot of the things you want. I wasn't really able to fit all of them in. And he doesn't really break them out...**

**I do not own Alex Rider. Here we go!**

Chapter Fourteen: To Be Houdini

_Somewhere in the US;_

_SCORPIA Headquarters;_

_2:01 AM;_

_6 hours and 50 minutes captured;_

_Fox's POV:_

After my announcement, everyone- with the exception of Cub/Alex/Jag, who was unconscious- whirled around to stare at me. Lion turned pale as he asked, "You mean, Jag is Cub?"

I nodded, "Yeah, and he has some major explaining to do."

"You bet he does!" Wolf snarled.

"But, why would he want everyone to think he's dead?" Snake asked, confused.

"Man, Fox, when did you learn Swahili?" Alex's voice broke through my thoughts.

"You're awake!" Snake and Cobra exclaimed in unison as they kept Alex in place when he struggled to stand up. He rolled his eyes, but I couldn't help but grin. Alex was alive and kicking, literally. You may be thinking, 'What do you mean by 'literally'? I thought he was only alive, not kicking.' But you see, my dear, sweet friend (please not the sarcasm) was kicking out at Snake and Cobra, trying to get up.

I decided to take matters into my own hands before both ended up in pink tutus singing soprano in front of all of London. Now _that_ would be a sight.

"Fox!" Alex's yelled. "When did you learn Swahili?"

I grinned at him, "Last year. I'm not fluent, but I can recognize a lot of words. That was one of them."

Alex stared at me, "Yeah, I don't really get that. Why would poop be one of the words you recognize?"

I blushed, "I decided to learn all of the weird words first."

"Yeah." Alex said slowly. I ignored him and grabbed Cobra and Snake, yanking them away from Alex. Lion moved forward to assist Alex in sitting up while the two medics struggled against me, furious that Alex was sitting up so soon.

It probably would have turned into a full-blown fight, Cobra and Snake against Lion and I (Eagle and Monkey were playing some game called Chopsticks, Alex was resting, and Wolf looked as if he really didn't care), but, at that moment, the door quietly swung open and a man that looked like our captor walked in. In a flash, all eight of us leapt to our feet and advanced, as he was unguarded.

"Who are you?" Wolf and Lion growled at the same time. They shared a brief smile* before turning back to the man.

"Look, I am not my brother. He may be my twin, but he's nothing like me." The man pleaded.

I saw Alex examining him before he nodded, "Look, they have different clothes and eyes. It could be faked, but I have a feeling that we can trust him."

I studied the nervous man and realized he was right. This man was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt that matched his eyes. The other man was wearing other clothes and had dark brown, almost black, eyes. Lion and Wolf must have come to that conclusion as well, because they nodded.

"Who are you?" Wolf asked again.

"My name is Mister." The man replied, not as nervous as he had been.

"Mister?" I asked, ignoring the annoyed look Wolf gave me. He may be the leader of our unit, but that didn't keep me from being curious. It was in my blood, and probably what had made me such a good spy.

"Yeah," Mister told me, "My mom thought we'd like to have some respect before we'd even done anything. So she named me Mister, and my twin Sir."

Monkey grinned, "Cool. Anyways, you got off luckier than I did. _My_ name is Sarcasm. Not kidding." He added for our benefit. Not, I realized, that D-Unit needed it. They already seemed to know Monkey's real name.

"Why are you here?" Lion asked Mister.

"To get you out. My brother, Sir, isn't planning on playing nice, especially now that he knows Alex Rider is here. But we have to hurry before they discover I'm missing and you're gone."

"Alright, but if we find out this is a trap..." Wolf warned.

"Enough of that." Cobra said impatiently. "Who's carrying Jag?"

Ruh roh, I thought, copying Scooby. Jag is _not_ going to like that. And guess what? I was right.

"Carry me?" Jag asked/yelled. "What do you mean, _carry_ me? I absolutely refuse to be carried!"

"At least lean on someone, Jag. _Please_." Lion begged. Jag glared at him with a glare that I knew even Wolf would admit was better than his, but relented. I breathed a sigh of relief. As much as I thought it'd be funny, I didn't think it'd be good for Cobra or Lion's health if they were forced to sleep outside in nothing but their boxers. From Lion and Cobra's faces, they didn't think so either.

"Can we please hurry?" Mister begged. We all nodded and followed him out of the (I refuse to call it 'our') cell.

Mister led us through a maze of dirty, gray hallways, taking us through a few doorways with codes only he knew.

However, even if I didn't realize it, my thoughts were straying to the same ones Jag/Cub/Alex had thought as he was being dragged to the torture chamber. Yuck, I thought, sniffing. It was really smelly. Still, the closer we get to the entrance/exit, the cleaner the air gets. We're underground, I realized. The closer we get to the surface, the cleaner the air gets.

"Yuck." Wolf muttered. "Couldn't you at least use some air freshener?" I suppressed a grin as everyone rolled their eyes.

"Jeez, Wolf." Jag (I'll just call him that, since it's his name now) said, laughing. "Don't you realize that we're getting closer to the exit and the air's clearing up? Just follow the fresh air, and we're out."

"O-of course I knew that." Wolf blustered.

"Really? Wow, Wolf, you're smart!" Eagle said, grinning.

Jag leaned in close to me from where he was leaning on Cobra, "Uh, how in the world did Eagle get into the SAS?"

"No idea." I told him. "But I suspect he bribed one of the higher ups. That or blackmail."

"Nuh uh!" Eagle cried. "I'll have you know that I got in on pure skill and knowledge!" I snorted, those were the _last_ things Eagle would've gotten in on.

"Ya know, I was wondering." Cobra told me, "Are Eagle and Monkey long lost brothers or something? 'Cause they're really similar." I followed his gaze to where the two of them were dropping torn pieces of cloth (their shirts) on the ground.

"What are you doing?" I asked them. Believe me, I regretted it as soon as it was out.

"We-el, I figured we would need to backtrack if we got lost. So we're dropping pieces of cloth, like Mulan and Dumbo." Monkey told us, obviously proud.

Snake rolled his eyes, "Okay, there are several things wrong with what you just said. One, it was Hansel and Gretel, not Mulan and Dumbo. Two, they dropped crumbs, not pieces of cloth. And three, you're just providing the enemy a way to track us."

As if on cue, shouts could be heard not that far behind. "Hey! They're leaving a trail! Are they dumb or what?" We all took off running, pausing only long enough for the cloth pieces to be taken from the two toddlers (honestly, I think it's an insult to toddlers to call them that).

I grumbled as I ran, helping Cobra with Jag. "Great, now we're not the strong, handsome, smart SAS soldiers who were foolish to get captured, but the weak, ugly, stupid SAS soldiers who were foolish to get captured."

As one, we all glared at Monkey and Eagle. They just kept running, now playing Patty Cake to 'pass the time'. Suddenly, we rounded a corner and came face to knob with a set of double doors.

"This is it!" Mister cried. "Now go, hurry! I'll hold them off." As he spoke, he retrieved a black, box-like object with a button on it. Almost immediately, I knew what it was.

"No! You can't!" I cried.

"I can, and I will." Mister stated firmly. He opened the last door with a passcode and shoved us out.

Wolf and Lion grabbed all of us and pulled us away. I may have struggled, but I noticed that Jag was falling behind. Then I picked him up and rushed back to the others. I knew Jag was hurting when he didn't protest. We were 100 yards away from the building when the bomb went off.

Later, the SAS who were sent in to rescue us would say there was nothing left. No building, no vehicles, no people, nothing but blood, ruins, and corpses. We were the only survivors. Mister had sacrificed himself for us.

It would take us a while to recover, in body and in mind. It took Jag the most time, but we all knew that it was to be expected. But, somehow, I never thought being Houdini would hurt so much.

**I'm sorry to all of those who were expecting a happy ending for this chapter.**

***OMG, Wolf is SMILING! Sorry, couldn't help myself. :)**

**And that's the second to last chapter in this fanfic. I thankfully already have the last chapter typed up, but want to give you some time to review. So I'll update in two days. Hopefully, anyway. I'm not sure if I'll have time. I would actually update tomorrow, but I know I won't have time. So I'll update as soon as I have time.**

**REVIEW!**


	16. A Twinkling Star

A New Identity

**I lied, okay? Don't judge me! I didn't think I'd have any time to update, but here I am. To:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**Also, for this last chapter, you may ask yourself why the rest of the story was done in First POV. Please ignore it! I did it so that you could see what everyone thought. This chapter is also really short. Sorry! I do not own Alex Rider. **

Chapter 15: A Twinkling Star

"And, to this day, no one ever knew why D- and K- Units ever protected Jaguar even more than they originally did." An old man finished, looking at his young grandchild, who was now asleep. The man was age 79, was tall and had brown hair and eyes. The girl looked exactly like he had at her age, except, of course, the fact that she was a girl.

He smiled as he looked at his son's daughter, and stood up, smoothing back her hair. He crossed the room, opened the door, and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind him.

His son and daughter-in-law were seated on a couch in the living room, talking quietly. The man had blond hair and sharp, blue eyes. He had joined the SAS as soon as his father had let him and, at age 39, was the oldest in his unit. The woman had black hair and soft, hazel eyes that told you she knew what you felt. They both looked up as he walked downstairs.

"You told her Jag's story?" His son asked.

The grandfather nodded, "I know Jag would have liked me to."

The younger man nodded, too, "We'll never forget him."

The elder looked at him and, quietly, replied, "I know. He does, too."

And he walked out the door, heading to his own home two blocks away. He sighed as he took a picture out of his pocket. On it were eight young men, seven around the ages of 22-27, and one the age of twenty. Of course, only nine people, the eight in the picture included, knew the youngest's real age, seventeen.

The eight were laughing, one desperately trying to beat another in arm-wrestling, the eldest straddling the youngest, and the other four simply laughing at the outraged expression on the eldest's face. Of course, you couldn't really see it, as it was covered in clown make-up; red smile, nose, and all.

The grandfather sighed once more; Matthew Hammond, Jaguar, and Jag had all died for real exactly a year ago. It had been, ironically, during an actual bank robbery. Jag, at the time 67, had kept the robbers distracted so that the police could get there in time. Unfortunately, the police hadn't, at least not for Jag. As soon as Jag noticed that the robbers had seen the police, he had thrown himself at them, taking a bullet to the chest 53 years after the first, in the exact same place. He had died instantly, they said. He felt no pain, others said. He was a hero, even more people said. But the old man knew better. Jag was Jag. He was just being who he had always been.

The man had reached his house. As he walked up the stairs, he looked up at a star that seemed to twinkle even more than the rest, like an old friend.

Ben could have sworn it had been there ever since Jag died.

** So there you have it. The last chapter. I know it's short, but I believe it's actually my favorite. And thank you to everyone who ever reviewed, story alerted, and/or favorite storied this fanfic. I also need ideas for those three companion stories I owe you. I already have one in mind, but I need two more. Review, please!**


	17. AN: Companion Stories

**Dear readers,**

**I am happy to inform you that all companion stories have now been published. They are These Hands Are Made For Tickling, I Never Break My Promises, and He Felt No Pain.**

**Happy reading,**

**Bookdancer**


End file.
